&#34;vinyon&#34; bandage and method of making and setting it



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VINYON" BANDAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND SETTING I'.l

Abby Henry Weiswasser and Frederick Weiswasser, Philadelphia, Pa.

No Drawing. Application August 8, 1941,

Serial No. 405,990

3 Claims.

One of the main objects of this invention is to devise a novel bandage and a novel method of making it from Vinyon" yarns with which yarns of other textile fibers may be combined to form a fabric. The bandage is wound around the part to be treated, with a desired tension, and then set by a chemical or combination of chemicals which have a contracting action on the Vinyon. "Vinyon is a mixed polymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate. This setting action can be controlled to produce am desired stiffness of the bandage and the bandage after setting may have suflicient elasticity to permit the free use of the muscles around which the bandage has been placed. The bandage is thus particularly adapted for use with sprains, displacement of parts or fractures. and in all cases where a bandage, elastic stocking, brace tourniquet, or cast is desirable.

It has heretofore been proposed to coat rubber yarn or strands with Vinyon," but in so far as we are aware this has not been successfully done to make a uniform coating of Vinyon," due apparently to having the Vinyon in a dry condition and to static electricity produced during the winding of the Vinyon around the rubber. The particles of Vinyon float or fly away without adheringto the rubber and the coating has not been uniform.

We have found as a result of numerous experiments that if the "Vinyon" is applied in a moist condition, for example by a flier revolving around the rubber core, a uniform covering can be applied to the elastic core of the Vinyon covered yarn.

A further object of the invention is to devise a novel elastic fabric and a novel method of contracting or setting the Vinyon and preventing the stretching of the elastic core of the yarn from which the fabric is woven, knitted or braided.

With the above and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearly appear, our invention comprehends a novel bandage and a novel method of making and setting it.

Other novel steps of the method and features of advantage will appear in the detailed description and the appended claims. The elastic core formed of rubber strands is. preferably covered by winding the Vinyon" yarn or thread in a moist condition around the rubber, with the latter stretched to a desired degree. The Vinyon can also be applied to the rubber core in the form of flock. A suitable and preferably sanitary adwith the core in a stretched condition, and the core is then passed through a chamber containing "Vinyon flock introduced under pressure such as for example air pressure.

We prefer to use in bandages about twenty per cent of Vinyon" covered yarn which extends preferably longitudinally of the bandage to provide for longitudinal stretch. The remaining eighty per cent of the yarn of the bandage is "Vinyon yarn or Vinyon combined with cotton, wool, silk, jute, sisal or other fibers in such proportion that the desired setting of the bandage will not be prevented.

The fabric is made by a weaving, knitting or braiding operation while the rubber core of the Vinyon covered yarn is stretched to a desired degree. The fabric may have any desired number of threads to the inch, and it may be of any desired width or length.

When used as a bandage for form fitting on an image or on the human body, as a brace, tourniquet, stocking and etc., it is set or contracted to the desired degree of elasticity depending on the amount of retarder used with the setting agent.

When applied as a bandage, for example, it is wound around the part to be treated and the outer free end secured to the body portion of the bandage. The bandage is then set to the desired degree of stiffness by pouring over it or wetting it with a setting agent or agents. Wehave found that acetones or acetates with the proper amount of retarder give satisfactory and reliable results. Among the many setting agents which may be employed are acetone or acetates with water; acetone or acetates with alcohol; acetone or acetates with ether: formaldehyde; and in fact any chemical or chemicals which will contract "Vinyon" and are not harmful to the skin.

The degree of stiffness or elasticity can be accurately controlled by regulating the amount of retardant used with the setting agent.

A bandage as herein disclosed has the characteristics of being sterile, germ repellent and non-adhesive to the skin. Due to the interstices in the fabric, air can pass to the part bandaged and medicinal preparations can pass to the part being treated without removal of the bandage.

A very satisfactory bandage is produced when the Vinyon" covered rubber is used with the rest of the fabric of Vinyon." The proportion of Vinyon" used in the fabric, yarn, or bandage may vary in many different ways in the manner in which it is incorporated therein. We have found that where four warps, for example, are used hesive is applied to the rubber core, preferably good results are obtained if two of them have an or of Vinyon combined with other fibers. The

controlling factor-is to use suflicient "Vinyon to obtain the desired contraction and setting of the fabric or bandage. We have found that good.

results can be obtained ii. forty percent of Vinyon or more is incorporated in th fabric. The larger the percentage of "Vinyon used the greater is the contraction which can be obtained when the bandage is set by the application of a setting agent.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making and setting a bandage, which consists in covering rubber strands, while in a stretched condition, with ."Vinyon in a moist condition to form yarns with elastic cores, forming a fabric having included in its yarns the "Vinyon" yarns having elastic cores.

and contracting and setting the Vinyon of the "Vinyon covered cores around such elastic cores by the application of a Vinyon" setting agent to the bandage, while in place around a part to be treated, to control the elasticity and stretch of the elastic cores.

2. The method of making and setting a bandage, which consists in forming a fabric having included in its yarns, yarns having elastic cores, and yarns containing Vinyon', winding the bandage around a part to be treated, and, thereafter, applying a Vinyon setting agent to the bandage to contract and set it and limit the elasticity of the elastic cores.

3. The. method or making and setting a bandage, which consists in forming a fabric of "Vinyon" yarns havingelastic cores and of yarns of Vinyon," applying the bandage to a part to be treated contracting and setting the Vinyon in the bandage by the application of Vinyon setting agent containing a retardant, and controlling the elasticity of the elastic cores and the contraction and setting of the Vinyon by the amount of retardant used with the setting agent.

ABBY HENRY WEISWASSER. FREDERICK WEISWASSER. 

